Georges Clemenceau quotes

War is a series of catastrophes that results in a victory. (Georges Clemenceau)
It is easier to make war than make peace. View quote
Georges Clemenceau
War is too serious a matter to entrust to military men. View quote
Georges Clemenceau
All that I know I learned after I was thirty. View quote
Georges Clemenceau
America is the only nation in history which miraculously has gone directly from barbarism to degeneration without the usual interval of civilization. View quote
Georges Clemenceau
A man's life is interesting primarily when he has failed - I well know. For it's a sign that he tried to surpass himself. View quote
Georges Clemenceau
I do not know whether war is an interlude in peace, or whether peace is an interlude in war. View quote
Georges Clemenceau
When a man asks himself what is meant by action he proves that he isn't a man of action. Action is a lack of balance. In order to act you must be somewhat insane. A reasonably sensible man is satisfied with thinking. View quote
Georges Clemenceau
My home policy: I wage war. My foreign policy: I wage war. All the time I wage war. View quote
Georges Clemenceau
The Germans may take Paris, but that will not prevent me from going on with the war. We will fight on the Loire, we will fight on the Garronne, we will fight even in the Pyrenees. And if at last we are driven off the Pyrenees, we will continue the war at sea. View quote
Georges Clemenceau
Americans have no capacity for abstract thought, and make bad coffee. (Georges Clemenceau)
Oh, to be seventy again! View quote
Georges Clemenceau
There are only two perfectly useless things in this world. One is an appendix and the other is Poincaré. View quote
Georges Clemenceau
My son is 22 years old. If he had not become a Communist at 22, I would have disowned him. If he is still a Communist at 30, I will do it then. View quote
Georges Clemenceau
There is no passion like that of a functionary for his function. View quote
Georges Clemenceau
A man who waits to believe in action before acting is anything you like, but he's not a man of action. View quote
Georges Clemenceau
In order to act, you must be somewhat insane. A reasonably sensible man is satisfied with thinking. View quote
Georges Clemenceau
I think war is inevitable. We must do nothing to provoke it, but we must be ready for it; helped by Russia and England, doubtless by Spain also and perhaps by Italy as well, we may be able to win. In any case it will be a life and death affair: if we are beaten we will be crushed. View quote
Georges Clemenceau
It was I who gave the title "J'accuse" to Zola's letter. View quote
Georges Clemenceau
I have come to the conclusion that force is right. Why is this chicken here? (pointing to his plate). Because it was not strong enough to resist those who wanted to kill it. And a very good thing too! View quote
Georges Clemenceau
In fifteen years I will be dead, but if you do me the honour of visiting my tomb, you will be able to say that the Germans have not fulfilled all the clauses of the treaty, and that we are still on the Rhine. (Georges Clemenceau)
For you a hundred years is a very long time; for us it does not amount to much. I knew men who had seen Napoleon with their own eyes. We have our conception of history and it cannot be the same as yours. View quote
Georges Clemenceau
No, my friend, Germany will not declare war on us [at this moment]. But in my opinion the European situation is such that a great armed conflict is inevitable at some time which I cannot foresee, and our duty is to prepare for the worst. View quote
Georges Clemenceau
The enemy is at the gates of the city. The day is perhaps not far off when our breasts will be the last defence for our country. We are the children of the Revolution. Let us take inspiration from our fathers of 1792, and, like them, we will conquer. View quote
Georges Clemenceau
Mr. Wilson bores me with his Fourteen Points; why, God Almighty has only Ten! View quote
Georges Clemenceau